Introducing myself

I’m a PhD student in the School of Welsh. I’m working on a 12th or 13th century Arthurian romance written in Occitan about a knight called Jaufre. I’m also a singer, songwriter and storyteller and I’ve retired from a working life which has included substantial periods of teaching and shorter periods of ill-advised office work. As a songwriter my songs have travelled without me in the repertoire of various singers on the folk music circuit in the UK, the US and Australia (and probably elsewhere too). I’ve sung on stages in the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada, from small gigs in front rooms to festival stages. I’ve told my stories to groups in libraries and bookshops as well as in yurts at the Glastonbury festival and various much smaller events. I started my PhD in January 2015 and so far I’m thoroughly enjoying it, with brief periods of frustration when I have to tackle reading articles in languages I don’t speak.